Air quality (1)

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor confirm how many businesses have benefited from the van scrappage scheme launched in February 2019?

The Mayor: As I said in my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/1153, Transport for London (TfL) had made grant payments to 880 organisations as at 14 April 2020, and 984 associated vehicles had been scrapped. A further 2,062 applications have been accepted by TfL and vehicle owners can now proceed to scrap their vehicles.
On 22 January 2020, I announced a number of changes to my van scrappage scheme which extended the scheme to small businesses and increased the value of grants available. This means that many more businesses will now be able to benefit from the scheme and help to drive further improvements to London’s air quality. The average number of applications per week received by TfL is now more than three times the number received before these changes were announced.

Vehicle Scrappage Schemes

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor confirm how much of the £23m van scrappage fund for microbusinesses and charities launched in February 2019 has been spent?

The Mayor: As of 14 April 2020, 880 grant payments had been made, totalling £4,597,000, and 984 associated vehicles had been scrapped. In addition, there are eligible applications in the system that require evidence to be submitted to Transport for London (TfL) that a vehicle has been scrapped, and, if applicable, replaced. Once this evidence has been received and assessed, the funds are then released to the customer. If all these applications are approved, the total value of grant payments made by TfL will be approximately £13.6 million.
On 22 January 2020, I announced a number of changes to my van scrappage scheme which extended the scheme to small businesses and increased the value of grants available. This means that many more businesses will now be able to benefit from the scheme and help to drive further improvements to London’s air quality. The average number of applications per week received by TfL is now more than three times the number received before these changes were announced.

Tower Bridge Flooding

Keith Prince: Is there more you can do to stop the flooding north of Tower Bridge?

The Mayor: As noted in my responses to previous Mayors Questions 2018/3439, 2019/14339 and 2020/730, the current barriers were installed by the Metropolitan Police (MPS) following the London Bridge terrorist attacks. A number of these barriers unfortunately block the gullies, which causes the flooding.
While Tower Bridge is not a Transport for London (TfL) structure, TfL is progressing the feasibility and design work for the installation of permanent hostile vehicle protection on the pavements away from existing gullies on the bridge. This will help reduce flooding in the area as the drainage channels will no longer be obstructed.

TfL’s Communication Model

Jennette Arnold: How are TfL working to move away from their current model of communication in order to provide those looking for support with open and honest communication that Londoners trust?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) award winning communications teams provide innovative communications to customers and stakeholders in an open and transparent way.
There are a variety of ways Londoners can access travel advice and get support from TfL. Customers can access the TfL website for up to date travel information and plan their routes for journeys. TfL has also made its travel data available to third parties which has led to a huge range of smartphone travel applications. In addition, for those who need to speak to someone directly, the TfL contact centre is open from 07:00-20:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00-19:00 on weekends.
TfL’s external relations teams also provide dedicated channels of communication for journalists, elected representatives, business groups, charities, regulators, special interest groups and others. All of its communications are approached in an open and transparent way aimed at providing high quality information to Londoners.

Crossrail (3)

Shaun Bailey: Further to question 2019/19780, will you consider commissioning specific research on the impact on London’s regional economic growth if there are further delays to the Elizabeth Line?

The Mayor: As set out in my previous answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/19780, Transport for London (TfL) has analysed Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (MCIL) receipts and there is no indication that the number of new developments has reduced since the announcement of the delay to the Elizabeth line. This assessment covers the delay period from December 2018 but does not consider the impacts of COVID-19. MCIL payments are made on commencement of new developments and are a good indicator of the amount of development taking place across the capital.
My focus, and everyone at Crossrail Ltd and TfL, is now on ensuring the Elizabeth line is opened as safely and quickly as possible, whilst bearing in mind the new implications of COVID-19 which has led to a temporary pause in construction.

Victoria Coach Station fire hazards

Andrew Dismore: Reports state that fire safety experts have uncovered a catalogue of major fire risks at Victoria Coach Station which could have put thousands of passengers at risk and cause a potentially deadly ‘disaster’. What are you doing to address this concern urgently?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) takes the issue of fire safety at Victoria Coach Station extremely seriously. The London Fire Brigade’s (LFB’s) inspection and TfL’s own fire risk assessment, which was undertaken and published only days prior to the LFB inspection, have identified several opportunities for TfL to strengthen its approach to managing fire safety at the coach station.
TfL has agreed the scope for fire safety works with the LFB and has resolved 35 of the 39 areas of concern highlighted by the inspection. It is working to complete the four remaining areas as soon as possible, with design works complete for one of them and mitigation in place for the remaining three. The works are planned for completion by December 2020.